Yarn-package winding machine with automatic coil exchanging and yarn tying devices



Oct. 18, 1966 RAASCH v 3,279,710

YARN-PACKAGE WINDING MACHINE WITH AUTOMATIC COIL EXCHANGING AND YARN TYING DEVICES Filed Nov. 18, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Haw a\ Oct. 18, 1966 H. RAASCH 3,279,710

YARN-PACKAGE WINDING MACHINE WITH AUTOMATIC c011. EXCHANGING AND YARN TYING DEVICES Filed Nov. 18, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 18, 1966 H. RAASCH 3,279,710

YARN-PACKAGE WINDING MACHINE WITH AUTOMATIC COIL EXCHANGING AND YARN TYING DEVICES Filed Nov. 18, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Get. 18, 1966 H. RAASCH YARN-PACKAGE WINDING MACHINE WITH AUTOMATIC COIL EXCHANGING AND YARN TYING DEVICES 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 18, 1964 United States Patent f 3,279,710 YARN-PACKAGE WINDING MACHINE WITH AUTOMATIC COIL 'EXCHANGING AND YARN TYING DEVICES Hans Raasch, Rheydt, Germany, assignor to Walter Reiners, Monchen-Gladbach, Germany Filed Nov. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 412,089 Ciaims priority, application Germany, Nov. 20, 1963, R 36,605 11 Claims. (Cl. 24235.5)

My invention relates to yarn-package winding machines with automatic coil exchanging and yarn tying devices. Such machines are used in textile manufacture for producing relatively large packages of yarn, such as cross-wound packages of the type called cheeses or cones, from a number of relatively small yarn supply coils such as spinning cops.

In a more particular aspect, the invention relates to improvements of yarn-package winding machines of the kind disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,111,280 of W. Reiners et al. In such machines, a single coil readying device is provided for a number of individual winding stations. In the readying device, the starting end of the yarn coming from the cops or other supply coils is laid ready so that, when the coil is supplied to an individual winding station, the yarn end is in the proper condition and position required for the automatic mechanisms of that winding station to seize the yarn end for conveying it to a knotter which ties the end together with the yarn coming from the take-up spool. In the readying device, common to a number of individual winding stations, the yarn end, properly disentangled, is either placed into the bore of the tubular coil core or it is wound upon the tip of the core in the form of a tip bunch. The readying device then places the prepared coils onto a conveyor belt which passes the coils along the multi-station winding machine so that the coils can issue from the conveyor to an individual winding station in which a supply coil, previously depleted of its yarn, has been doifed so that the station is receptive for a new supply coil.

It has been found that such readying devices do not always afford the expected advantages. Multi-station machines often comprise several groups, each including a number of individual winding stations, and it is sometimes desirable to use a different yarn in each group or unit of such a machine. When providing a multi-station machine with a single readying device feeding the prepared coils onto a conveyor which issues the coils to the individual stations, it is infeasible to provide various station groups with respectively different yarns. This could be done only by dividing the machine into several multistation units in order to provide the necessary space for different readying devices, each having its own conveyor associated with one of the respective groups. Since this is unsatisfactory, it is necessary to remove the control or actuating means for the feeding of supply coils at those particular winding stations or station groups in which a different kind of yarn is to be fabricated. This, however, leaves much to be desired, not only because it eliminates the advantage of the common readying device for the station group operating with diiferent yarn, but also aggravates servicing the winding stations of such a group by the obstruction then caused by the conveyor belt passing by these stations.

In other cases of manufacture it is desirable to equip already existing multi-station plants with an automatic supply of prepared cops or the like coils, but the readying devices heretofore known for the purpose of jointly servicing a large number of winding stations can be added to existing machinery only by extensive renovating and building activities.

"ice

It is an object of my invention to devise a multi-station yarn-package winding machine with a supply-coil readying device common to a number or all of the individual stations of the machine, that avoids the above-mentioned shortcomings.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide a multi-station machine with a supply-coil readying device for servicing a number of individual stations, that can be attached in a relatively simple manner to already existing yarn-package winding machines.

Another object of the invention is to afford servicing a given number of winding stations, or groups of such stations, selectively from one or more readying devices common to these stations.

To achieve these and such further objects and advantages as will be apparent from, and are mentioned in, the following, and in accordance with a feature of my invention, a yarn-package winding machine, having a multiplicity of winding stations each equipped with automatic coil exchanging and yarn tying means, is provided with a supply-coil readying device Wihch is driven to travel along these winding stations on suitable rail means and has coil outlet means for issuing a prepared supply coil to the coil accommodating means of an individual Winding station calling for such a servicing operation.

Depending upon Whether the multi-station winding machine has the stations arranged in a circular group or in a rectilinear group, the ambulatory readying device may be driven around the winding machine or it may be disp laceable back and forth along the machine. In each case, the readying device, during its travel, passes sequentially by the individual winding stations to be stopped at a station that requires servicing, and may then issue one or more previously readied yarn-supply coils as may be needed. With multi-station winding machines having the stations aligned on only one side of the machinery, it is preferable to have the ambulatory readying device travel back and forth along the wind-ing machine and arrested at -a particular winding machine in dependence upon a feeler or sensor responsive to the absence of a reserve coil in the station.

The readying device may be constructed in such a manner that the supply of one or. more readied coils from the device to a reserve position in an individual winding station takes place during travel of the readying device, at reduced travel speed :of the latter. However, it is preferable to have the prepared coils issue from the readying device to the individual winding stations during an interval of time in which the travel of the readying device is temporarily interrupted and the readied yarn end of the coil is placed in a position suitable for the automatic means of the winding station to seize the yarn end and having it tied together by means of the appertaining knotter; that is, the readied yarn end may be located in the bore of the coil core or may be wound upon the core tip in the form of a tip bunch. According to another feature of my invention, however, it is preferable to have the prepared yarn end of the supply coil held fast by a member of the readying device until the coil has issued to the winding station, whereafter the readied yarn end is taken over and held fast by means of a holding member which forms part of the Winding station.

The ambulatory readying device is preferably equipped with a coil magazine from which the coils are individually removed by conveying device equipped with containers or pockets for receiving the individual coils. If the readying device is constructed to issue one or more coils simultaneously or sequentially to a winding station, it is advisable to have the coil conveyor in the readying device vactua'ble in dependence upon the number of coils that are located in reserve within the readying device. However, if the readying device is designed that only one readied coil is to be issued to a winding station while the travel of the readying device is temporarily interrupted, then it is preferable to control the coil conveyor in the readying device in dependence upon the travel motion of the readying device because this permits dispensing with a number of control components otherwise necessary.

According to a further feature of the invention, relating to a readying device of the last-mentioned type, the coil conveyor in the ambulatory readying device is intermittently operated during standstill of the travel motion of the readying device, namely in such a manner that the coil conveyor will advance each time by one division of its coil containers or pockets. Each step of conveyor advance then has the effect that a supply coil, already prepared in the readying device, will drop from the readying device onto a receiving or reserve position in the individual winding station being serviced at that time.

According to still another feature of the invention, the readying device is equipped with two readying places, spaced from each other at least one conveyor pocket division, which successively receive the supply coils by the intermittent advance of the conveyor in the readying device. It is particularly preferable to provide the readying device at the first place thus reached by the coils with means which remove the windings of yarn from the foot portion of the coil, and to provide the second coil receiving place with a device which removes the next following winding turns or also any tip bunch from the coil. These yarn removing means at both localities may consist of mechanical and/r pneumatic grippers or the like.

According to a further feature of the invention, it is particularly advisable to provide the means at the second locallity for removing the first turns from the yarn body of the coil, with a mechanism which places the coil in rotation. Such rotation of the coil makes it particularly simple, after unwinding some lengths of yarn from the coil, to rotate .the coil in the opposite direction so as to wind a tip bunch or yarn reserve onto the tip of the core. However, if no such tip bunch is required after the prepared coil has reached an individual winding station, it is a simpler and preferred method to have the readied end of yarn iheld fast by the device which removes the surface turns from the yarn body so that, when thereafter the coil is conveyed from the second readying locality and issued to the winding station, a yarn connection will extend from the coil, now in a reserve position Within the winding station, to the coil rotating means in the above-mentioned second locality of the readying device. This yarn connection can then be severed in a particularly simple manner and the piece of yarn extending from the coil up to the severing device can then be caught for example in a suction nozzle which forms part of the individual winding station and the yarn end of the coil can be held thereby in proper ready position where it can be seized by the automatic yarn seizing and knot tying mechanisms of the winding station. The yarn piece extending from the severing device to the yarn unwinding and coil preparing means of the readying device, on the other hand, can be received and eliminated in the readying device.

Whenever a winding station is supplied in the abovedescribed manner with one or more readied yarn supply coils, the ambulatory readying device is controlled to continue its travel to the next winding station in order to repeat the servicing performance at another station in which the reserve locality for the supply coil happens to be vacated.

The above-mentioned and more specific objects, advantages and features of my invention, said features being set forth with particularity in the claims annexed hereto,

i will be apparent from, and will be mentioned in, the following with reference to an embodiment of a machine according to the invention illustrated by way of example on the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a lateral view of a winding station which forms part of a multi-station machine and is equipped with a readying device 'displaceable alon the machine.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the same readying device with a front wall thereof removed. 7

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the readying device showing the equipment for controlling the movements of individual components.

FIG. 3a is a separate detail of FIG. 3 as viewed in the direction of the arrow I shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit diagram of the readying device; and

FIG. 5 is an explanatory graph relating to the correlated movements of components in the readying device.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a machine which has a frame structure 1 on which a number of individual winding stations are accommodated, these stations being aligned on a straight line perpendicular ot the plane of illustration. Each of the individual winding stations, like the one visible in FIG. 1, comprises a spool journalling frame 2 pivoted at 2a to the frame structure 1 for journalling a take-up spool 3. The yarn F passes from a supply coil K such as a spinning cop, along a yarn guiding member 92 and a yarn tensioner 91 onto a yarn guiding drum 4 and thence onto the take-up spool 3. The yarn guiding drum has its shaft 4a driven at constant speed during the winding operation and is frictionally engaged by the takeup spool 3 in order to entrain the package of yarn being wound upon the spool. The guiding drum 4 has a conventional groove extending about the drum periphery as well as along the drum in from of a closed loop so that the groove causes the yarn, as it passes through the groove onto the take-up spool, to reciprocate back and forth along the take-up spool. In the event of yarn breakage, two yarn seeking members 5 and 6 seize the respective ends of yarn from the take-up spool and the supply coil and pass them to a knotter 7 where the ends are tied together before the winding operation is resumed. The supply coil K is speared upon a mandrel or thorn 8 whose lower end is pivotally mounted. When the supply coil is depleted, the mandrel is turned about its pivot in the clockwise direction to permit doffing the empty coil core and receiving the new coil, the turning movement being imparted to the mandrel by means of a control mechanism which, since it is well known per se, is not illustrated. In this respect, reference may be had, for example, to Patents 3,023,974 and 3,121,540. A dolfer arm Q pivotally mounted on the frame structure 1 is located near the mandrel 8 for pushing a depleted coil core off the mandrel before a new coil is substituted thereon. A conveyor belt 10 at the rear of the doffer arm 9 receives the ejected empty cores and removes them from the machine. A lever 11 connected with the mandrel 8 has a cam slot 11 in its lower portion engaged by a connecting rod 12 which is linked to a bell crank lever 13' pivoted at 13a to the stationary frame structure or a part firmly secured to that structure. The upper portion of the bell crank lever 13' forms a flap 13 which passes through an opening in a downwardly inclined glide trough upon which a new supply coil K is located and is stopped from gliding downwardly onto the mandrel 8 as long as the flap portion of lever 13 is in the illustrated position.

For dcfiing an empty core, the mandrel or thorn 8 is turned counterclockwise so that the lower end of the core becomes engaged by the dolfer arm 9. During this counterclockwise motion, the connecting rod 12 glides in the elongated cam slot 11' of the lever 11 and thus does not transmit motion to the flap 13. Thereafter the thorn 8 is turned clockwise to the above-mentioned position for receiving the new coil. During the latter motion the rod 12 actuates the lever 13' and opens the flap 13 so that the new coil K can glide to the dot-and-dash position onto the receiving thorn 8. Thereafter the thorn 8 with the new coil K is rotated back to the normal operating position shown in FIG. 1 for the coil K During this return motion the flap 13 is pulled by a spring 14 back to the illustrated stopping position.

A transfer lever 15 is rotatable on the pivot pin of the thorn 8. The lever 15 is turned counterclockwise to the dot-and-dash position 15' simultaneously with the upward movement of the coil to the normal operating position. While the new supply coil K is still in the illustrated position above the flap 13, the end of yarn from this coil is held fast in an air suction nozzle 16. As the transfer lever 15 turns upwardly, its hook-shaped end engages the yarn and pulls it from the new supply coil, as the latter reaches the normal operating position (K to a locality where it is readily seized by the yarn seeking member 6 as the latter rotates about its pivot 6a. The yarn end is thus moved along the circular path into the action range of the knotter 7.

A pull wire 17 is hung into the lower portion of the transfer lever 15. The upper end 17' of the pull wire forms an eye which is connected by a pin with a lever 18. A feeler 19 is firmly joined with the lever 18. As the transfer lever 15 swings to its dot-and-dash position 15', the wire 17 is pulled to the left and acts through the lever 18 to hold the feeler 19 in a position which it also occupies when a supply coil is located beneath the feeler. As a result, a single rod 20 passing through a guide member 20' and attached to the lever 18 is retained in an inactive position during coil exchanging operation. The signal rod 20 serves to stop and start the readying device still to be described.

The above-described components of the winding station are repeated in each individual station of the machine, and the conveyor 10 extends longitudinally along the entire series of stations. The machine is further equipped with a readying device which is common to all of the winding stations of the machine, or to a group of such stations. For this purposes, the readying device can travel along the stations of a machine or group.

A supporting rail 21 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3) is mounted on outrigger arms Qf the machine frame structure 1-, and the readying device has running wheels travelling on the rail 21. A bracket 22 mounted on top of the readying device carries two rollers 93 and 94 which jointly straddle a tubular rail 23 mounted on carriers 95 (FIG. 1) which are rigidly secured to the machine frame structure 1. Two electric bus bars 24 and 24b extend longitudinally below the tubular rail 23 and cooperate with respective contact brushes 25a, 25b (FIGS. 1,4) which are mounted on the bracket 22 and serve to supply electric current from the buses to the components of the readying device which serve to propel the device along the winding machine and also for operating various other components still to be described.

The suction air required for seeking and seizing the yarn ends is supplied by a pipe 26 (FIGS. 1, 2) extending along the machine. A fiat iron bar 96 is fastened to the pipe 26 and also extends along the machine. The tube 26 and the bar 96 are provided with respective, longitudinally spaced bores 27, one for each winding station, which are covered by valve members 28. The valve members 28 are formed of plates which are pivotally mounted on respective pins 30 and are movable between two stops 97 and 98 (FIG. 2).

The supply of the readying device with suction air is effected by having a junction nipple 29, fixedly mounted on the readying device, abut against a valve plate 28 during travelling monon of the device, thus turning the valve plate and then forming a communication through the opening 27 between the negative-pressure pipe 26 and the interiorof the nipple 29. It will be recognized from FIG. 2 that the valve plate is thus rotated about its pivot 30 when the readying device travels to the left. When the readying device travels further to the left beyond the bore 27, then the valve plate 28 tips entirely to the left so that now the bore 27 is closed by the right-hand end portion of the valve plate 28.

The readying device is driven from an electric motor 31 (FIGS. 1, 2, 4) through a step-down transmission 32 (FIG. 1) and a driven wheel 33 resting upon the rail 21. A supporting wheel 34 (FIGS. 2, 3) is journalled to the readying device in the same plane as the driven wheel 33. A selector switch 36 (FIGS. 1, 4) is pivotally mounted on the main supporting wall or frame of the readying frame 35 of the readying device and, depending upon its position, engages either a contact 36a or 361). The switch 36 has two inclined outer faces 36c and 36d and an intermediate planar face 36e (FIG. 3), The switch 36 is mounted on the framing wall 35 in such a manner that one of the two inclined faces 36c, 36d becomes engaged by the above-mentioned signal rod 20 (FIG. 1) when the readying device travels by a winding station and the signal rod 20 has been shifted to the right (FIG. 1) due to the fact that no coil K is in ready position. Due to such engagement of the switch 36 by the signal rod, the switch will tip and close the contact 36b.

As shown in FIG. 2, a conveyor belt 48 with pockets 41, trained over rollers 38 and 39 extends between the frame walls 35 .and 37 (FIG. 1) of the readying device. The pockets 41 are designed to receive each a single spinning cop K as each pocket passes by a coil magazine 42. A chain sprocket 99 is fixed on the shaft of the roller 38 and is connected by an endless chain 44 with a sprocket flanged to the shaft of the electric motor 43. The motor 43 is controlled in the manner described below so as to perform a single full revolution at a time, whenever needed. As a result, the conveyor belt and the pockets 41 are each time advanced by one pocket division. Also mounted on the shaft of motor 43 are cams 45a and 45b which actuate respective switches 46a and 46b.

The seeking of the yarn starting end at the coils takes place in two stages. As mentioned, the drive motor 43 each time advances the conveyor pockets 41 one division. This moves the spinning cop first to the position A. A suction tube 47 is then moved with its suction mouth over the core foot and sucks the turns of yarn away from the core foot as Well as any tail end or steeply pitched turns which may be wound about the peripheral surface of the coil body. Relative to the control and operation of the suction tube 47, as well as of the other cooperating movable components of the machine, a further description will follow hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. Generally, the rotatably mounted suction tube 47 and its cooperation with the tubular core of the supply coil correspond to the type illustrated and described in Patents 3,031,149, 3,043,529, 3,136,494 and 2,936,130, all assigned to the assignee of'the present invention.

While the suction gripper 47 is thereafter moved away from the core foot, a yarn cutter in the form of a shear 48 is temporarily shifted between the suction gripper 47 and the core foot of the coil and is actuated, thus severing the yarn between core foot and gripper 47, the cut-off piece of yarn being removed by the air suction.

The conveyor belt 40 now switches the pockets 41 another division forward so that the coil moves from position A to the top position B (FIGS. 1, 2). In this position, a guide funnel 50 (FIG. 1) turns clockwise and displaces the coil to the left where it is then clamped between the hollow conical clamping surfaces of axially aligned funnels 49 and 50 and is slightly lifted off the conveyor pocket 41. The member 50 is mounted on a lever which is linked by a connecting rod 56 with a bell crank lever 55 which, in turn, is linked by another connecting rod 54 with a curved' cam follower lever 53 engaging a cam 83 on a cam shaft 61 (FIGS; 1, 3). During a single full revolution of the cam shaft 61, the funnel-shaped member 50 is moved against the coil in the above-described manner. The cam shaft 61 is journalled in bearings 59, 60 (FIG. 3) and carries a belt sheave 82 (FIGS. 3, 1). An endless belt 101 connects the sheave 82 with a sheave 102 mounted on a rotatable shaft to which the above-mentioned other funnel-shaped journalling member 52 for the coil is secured. Consequently, during the above-mentioned single revolution of the controlling cam shaft 61, the member 49 is rotated and imparts a corresponding rotation to the coil then journalled between members 49 and 50 :in the top position B. The transmission ratio from belt sheave 82 to sheave 102 is such that the cop in position B performs ten rotations for the above-mentioned single full revolution of the controlling shaft 61.

The wall 35 of the frame structure has an opening 118 (FIGS. 2, 3) through which the cop, when in the top position B, can freely move in the axial direction toward the rotatable journalling member 49 to be operated in the above-described manner. During rotation of the coil in position B, a suction nozzle 52 (FIGS. 1, 2), having a slot opening extending along the coil, removes the end of the yarn already loosened in the position A and also sucks off the length of yarn which becomes unwound from the cop during the above-mentioned ten rotations imparted thereto by the journalling member 49. After the ten rotations, the clamping engagement between members 49 and 50 is released by movement of member 50 in the counterclockwise direction (FIG. 1), and the coil then slides back into the conveyor pocket.

Now the conveyor belt 40 advances another division. The coil drops from the conveyor pocket 41 into a chute 57 (FIGS. 1, 2) from which it slides into the winding station just being served, where the coil is caught on a supporting trough in the position K (FIG. 1). Since previously the coil in position A was pulled or shoved slightly in the direction of its core foot by the action of the suction nozzle 47, and subsequently was moved in the same axial direction in position B by the operation of the member 50, it is necessary to displace the coil in the direction of its core tip during the last-mentioned advancing step of the conveyor belt 40 to secure a smooth operation as the coil drops into the guiding chute 57. Such displacement is effected by means of an inclined guide plate 103 extending upwardly from the top opening of the chute (FIG. 1).

After the coil has reached the position K in the winding station, the starting end of its yarn is still held in the suction nozzle 52 in the top portion of the ambulant readying device, so that a yarn connection F (FIG. 1) still exists between the coil in position K and the nozzle 52. A shears-like cutter 58 is mounted near the lower portion of the chute 57 and is normally held in open position by means of a spring 104. When the cutter 58 is actuated, it passes through an opening 57 into the chute 57 where it cuts the yarn connection F. Then the yarn end located beneath the cutter 58 is sucked into a stationary nozzle 16 with which each winding station is equipped and which communicates with the negative pressure pipe 26. The yarn end located above the cutter 58 is then sucked away by the nozzle 52 and passes through the communicating pipe lines into a waste container not illustrated on the drawing.

The components for controlling the above-described correlated motions are apparent from FIG. 3. The above-mentioned bearings 59 and 60 for the control shaft 61 are mounted on the wall 35 of the frame structure and serve also to journal the shaft 105 on which the abovementioned cam 83 (FIGS. 3, 1) as well as a number of further control cams are mounted. The control shaft 61 is driven from the motor 62 (FIGS. 3, 4) through a pinion 63 on the motor shaft, an endless chain 64, and a chain sprocket 65. A cam 67 on shaft 61 acts upon a follower lever 68 which is joined by a Bowden wire 69 with a valve 70 (FIGS. 3, 3a) operating to turn the suction current of air for suction member 47 on and off. Another cam 71 on shaft 61 actuates a bell crank lever 72 by means of which the suction gripper 47 is moved toward and away from the core foot of the coil located in position B (FIGS. 3, 3a). The suction conduit communicating with the suction gripper 47 is secured to, and in communication with, a pivot bearing 106 mounted on the frame wall 35 (FIG. 3a). The portion of the suction conduit adjacent to the suction gripper 47 is rotatable in the bearing structure 106 through which the air is inducted. The bearing structure 106 has a projecting portion 107 on which the valve plate 70 is rotatably mounted on a pivot pin 108. The valve plate has an opening 70a in its lower portion, whereas the upper portion of the plate 70 protrudes into the opening 47a (at the upper left hand side of FIG. 3) of the suction air conduit for the suction gripper 47 and thus closes the suction conduit in the position shown in FIG. 3a. A spring 109 and a fixed stop 110 normally hold the valve plate 70 in the position shown in FIG. 3a. When the Bowden wire 69, fastened to a fixed abutment 117 of the readying device, is being actuated by the cam follower lever 68 coacting with the cam 67, the valve plate 70 is turned counterclockwise. This places the opening 70a into the suction conduit so that the current of suction air for the gripper 47 becomes active. When the bell crank lever, controlled by the cam '71, is in its normal position of rest, it retains the suction gripper 47 in its inactive position, namely away from the coil foot, in opposition to the pull of a spring 111 which tends to totate a suction gripper 47 about its pivot at bearing 106 to the active position shown in FIG. 3a. During rotation of the cam '71, the angular lever moves to a position in which the suction gripper 47, under the force of spring 111, is rotated about its pivot point to the active position in which the suction nozzle approaches the coil for performing the above-described readying operation.

The control shaft 61 carries further earns 73, 75, and 113 in addition to those already described. The cam 73 (FIGS. 3, 4) serves to actuate an electric switch 74 normally held in open position by a pressure spring 112 (FIG. 3). The cam 75 actuates a follower lever 76 connected by a pull rod 77 with a bell crank lever 78 which, in turn, is linked by a connecting rod 79 with a shear member 580 of the cutter 58 mounted in the lower portion of the chute 57 for severing the above-mentioned yarn connection F.

The cam 113, acting through a follower lever 114 and the connecting rod 115, controls the motion of a bell crank lever 116 to which the shears-like cutter 48 is connected. As explained, the shears 48 serve for cutting the end windings of the supply coil which are sucked off while the coil is in position A. For this purpose, the shears 48 are shifted from their inactive position to an active position between the foot end of the coil and the nozzle of the suction gripper 47. The two shear members of the cutter 48, in the position shown in FIG. 3, are held apart by a spring (not illustrated) and when the cutter is being shifted to the position between the core foot of the coil and the nozzle of gripper 47, are moved toward each other by a suitable linkage (not illustrated), in order to then cut the yarn.

The cam 80 coacts with a cam follower lever 81 and the connecting rod 84 upon an arm 117 whose pivot is joined with the pivot of the suction member 52. The cam 80 thus serves to move the nozzle of suction member 52 toward and away from the spool located in position B, also as described above.

As mentioned, the control shaft 61 also carries the belt sheave 82 (FIG. 1) which acts through an endless belt 101 and a sheave 102 for imparting ten revolutions to the journalling member 49 of the coil, for each single full rotation of the control shaft.

Also as described above, the cam 83, acting through the follower lever 53 (FIGS. 3, 1) and the connecting rod 9 54, operates the bell crank lever 55, pivoted upon the bearing block 117, which acts through a rod 56 (FIG. 1) upon the journalling member 50 for the coil in position B.

Referring now to the schematic circuit diagram of the machine illustrated in FIG. 4, it will be recalled that the ambulatory readying device receives its current supply from contact brushes 25a and 25b (FIGS. 4, 1). During travel of the device along the above-described rail structure, propulsion motor 31 is supplied with electric current through electromagnetic contactor switches 85 and 86, the switch 36 (see FIG. 1) and a polarity reversing switch 87. The reversing switch 87 is required only for a readying device which is called upon to travel back and forth along the series of winding stations of a multistation machine. Whenever the readying device reaches an end position in such a machine, the device actuates a limit switch which causes the reversing switch 87 to reversely pole the current supply so that the propulsion motor 31 reverses it running direction. When the readying device is to operate by filling a vacant trough or pocket (at K in FIG. 1) in a winding station, the switch 36 is actuated by the fact that the signal rod 20 then protrudes from the winding station toward the path of the readying device so that the contact 36b is closed (FIGS. 1, 4). This interrupts the circuit of motor 31 and closes the circuit of motor 43. The motor 43 advances the conveyor belt 40 and rotates the two cam discs 45a and 45b in the direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 4. As a result, the cam 45:: first closes a switch 46a completing a self-holding circuit for the motor 43 which thereafter continues running when the switch 36 jumps back to the contact 36a. The latter takes place when a supply coil slides through the chute 57 to the position K (FIG. 1), thus lifting the feeler 19 and rotating the lever 18 to shift the signal rod 20 to the right which then abuts against the face 362 (FIG. 3). Since the readying operation is not yet completed at this moment, start-up of the propulsion motor 31 must then be prevented. For that reason, another switch 88 (FIG. 4) is connected to the switch 46a and applies voltage to a relay coil 89 so that the switch 86 is opened and maintains the interruption of the current supply to motor 31. After one full rotation of the cam disc 45a, the switch 46a and thus also the switch 88 are opened. Consequently, the conveyor drive motor 43 is now stopped and the switch 86 is opened. The shaft of the conveyor drive motor 43 also carries the cam disc 45b. Shortly before stopping of the motor 43, the cam 45b closes a switch 46b. This energizes a motor 62 which now commences running. A relay coil 90 is connected in parallel with the motor 62 and now opens the switch 85. For that reason, the propulsion motor 31 is still prevented from starting when the conveyor drive motor 43 has completed its operation and has stopped. The starting of motor 62 sets a cam 73 in motion and thus closes a switch 74 connected in parallel relation to the switch 46b which opens when the conveyor drive motor 43 stops. The motor 62 therefore continues running until the cam 73 has completed a single rotation and opens the switch 74. This also deenergizes the relay 90 so that switch 85 closes and completes the energizing circuit of the propulsion motor 31 which now starts running and moves the readying device to the next following winding station.

When a supply coil in a winding station has shifted from the reserve position K onto the receiving thorn and the blocking of the feeler 19 is eliminated by the rotating motion of the transfer lever 15, the feeler 19 turns counterclockwise into the space now vacated by the coil, and the signal rod 20 is thus shifted to the right (FIG. 1). When the travelling readying device arrives at this particular winding station, the switch 36 abuts against the signal rod 20 with one of its inclined faces 360 or 36d (FIG. 3), so that the switch 36 switches from contact 36a to contact 36b or vice versa. As a result, the propulsion motor 31 is stopped (curve 31 in FIG. 5), and the 1% drive motor 43 for the conveyor belt 40 commences running (curves 43 and 40 in FIG. 5). The switch 46a is closed simultaneously with the starting of motor 43, this being also indicated by the timing diagram of FIG. 5, as are the operations described hereinafter. In FIG. 5, the abscissa for each individual curve denotes angular degrees of rotation, and the ordinate indicates off-on conditions, each individual curve being denoted by the same numeral as the particular component whose function it represents. The motor 62 for driving the assembly of cams on the control shaft 61, however, remains at rest. During the stopping interval of the cam assembly on control shaft 61, the cams place the suction nozzle 47, the suction nozzle 52 and the guiding funnel 50 in respective positions in which they are located outside of the travel path of the coils and the conveyor pockets.

It is apparent from the diagram of FIG. 5, that the conveyor drive motor 43 performs a rotation to shift the conveyor one pocket division during an interval of time in which the propulsion motor 31 is at standstill. As the conveyor belt 40 is moved one pocket division, the coil from position B drops into the chute 57 and slides to the ready position K in the winding station. The starting end of the yarn from the coil is then held fast in the suction nozzle 52 of the ambulatory readying device so that the above-mentioned yarn connection F then exists between the coil in position K and the suction nozzle 52. During the last portion of the cam 45b (FIG. 4) the switch 46b is actuated and the motor 62 for the shaft 61 of the assembly of cams is thus started. This has the effect that the cam 73 closes a switch 74 (FIG. 5) during an interval of. time in which the auxiliary motor 62 has completed a single full rotation of its cam 73. As soon as the conveyor drive motor 43 and the conveyor belt 40 have thus stopped, the suction nozzle 47 swings over the coil foot. In synchronism therewith, the valve 70 is opened to pass suction air through the suction gripper 4-7, so that the yarn ends are sucked away from the coil foot. In order to disentangle any twisted or caught yarn ends at the coil foot, the valve which controls the supply of suction air to the suction gripper 47 is closed abruptly for a short interval of time during the activity of the suction gripper 47. The resulting'rushes and impacts of suction have the effect of loosening such entanglements.

As the auxiliary motor 62 is started, the funnel-shaped journalling member 50 is swung toward the tip of the coil and the opposite end of the coil becomes centered in the funnel-shaped cavity of the journalling member 49 and is somewhat lifted from the conveyor pocket. The member 49 and the coil are now rotated, for example ten times as mentioned above, so that the initial length of yarn, usually wound in steep turns about the periphery of the body of yarn, is unwound.

Shortly .after the conveyor belt 40 is stopped and the coil has reached the ready position K in the winding station, the cutter 58 is actuated and severs the yarn connection F. As mentioned, the upper end of yarn is then passed to a waste container and the lower end is sucked into a readying nozzle 16 which forms part of the winding station.

After the conveyor belt 40 is stopped, the suction nozzle 52 is swung closely to the coil in position b and removes the unwound portion of yarn.

As soon as the suction gripper 47 moves away from the coil foot, the cutter 48 is shifted between the coil foot and the suction gripper 47 and severs the sucked-in end of yarn. The yarn ends are thereafter passed into a Waste collector through the suction conduits connected to the nozzle of the suction gripper 47.

The opening of the switch 74 terminatesthe operation of the auxiliary motor 62 and causes closing of the energizing circuit for the propulsion motor 31, so that the readying device continues its travel along the multi' station winding machine.

To those skilled in the art, it will be obvious from a study of this disclosure that my invention permits of a variety of modifications with respect to components, their arrangement, interconnection and actuation, and thus can be given embodiments other than particularly illustrated and described herein, Without departing from the essential features of my invention and within the scope of the claims annexed hereto.

1 claim:

1. A yarn package winding machine comprising a multiplicity of winding stations each having take-up winder means, a supply-coil holder, dofier means for removing a depleted coil from said holder, a knotter for tying the yarn end of a new coil on said holder to the yarn end from said take-up winder means, and yarn seizing means for passing said two yarn ends to said knotter; in combination with a supply-oil readying device common to, and movable along, a number of said winding stations, said readying device having coil supply means, coil supporting structure for accommodating a coil received from said supply means, yarn end fixing means engageable with the end of yarn from a coil located on said supporting structure for holding the yarn end in a given ready position until after subsequent issuance of the coil from the readying device; rail means defining for said readying device a travel path along said number of win-ding stations, said device having a propulsion drive for moving said device along said path; and said device having coil outlet means alignable with said supply-coil holder of one of said respective winding stations at a time for issuing a ready new coil to said winding station.

2. A yarn package winding machine comprising a multiplicity of winding stations each having take-up winder means, a supply-coil holder, dofier means for removing a depleted coil from said holder, a knotter for tying the yarn end of a new coil on said holder to the yarn end from said take-up winder means, and yarn seizing means for passing said two yarn ends to said knotter; in combination with a supply-coil readying device common to, and movable along, a number of said winding stations, said readying device having coil supply means, coil supporting structure for accommodating a oil received from said supply means, coil rotating means disposed in active relation to the coil on said supporting structure for removing from the coil an end portion of yarn, yarn retaining means engageable with said yarn portion for holding it in a given ready position until after subsequent issuance of the coil from the readying device to one of said winding stations, said yarn portion, when the coil is issued to said winding station, being transferable into engagement by said yarn seizing means; rail means defining for said readying device a travel path along said number of winding stations, said device having a propulsion drive for moving said device along said path; and said device having coil outlet means alignable with said supply-coil holder of one of said respective winding stations at a time for issuing a ready new coil to said Winding station. 7

3. In a winding machine according to claim 1, each of said Winding stations comprising a reverse-coil support near said supply coil holder, said reserve-coil support being registerable with said outlet of said readying device for receiving therefrom a readied coil to keep it in reserve for subsequent transfer to said holder, said winding station having sensing means responsive to presence of a reserve cell on said reserve-coil support, and said readying device having first control means actuable in dependence upon response of said sensing means for stopping the travel of said device at the winding station ready to receive a new coil on its vacated reserve-coil support.

4. In a winding machine according to claim 3, said readying device comprising second control means connected with said coil supply means and responsive to said .first control means to control said supply means to pass a coil to said coil supporting structure in dependence upon said stopping of said device at said winding station.

5. In a winding machine according to claim 3, said' coil supply means of said readying device comprising a coil magazine and a conveyor having means for individually moving a coil from said magazine to said coil supporting structure of said readying device.

6. In a winding machine according to claim 5, said conveyor having means for driving said conveyor in dependence upon said readying device being stopped at a Winding unit requiring a new coil.

7. In a Winding machine according to claim 5, said conveyor having an intermittent drive for advancing said conveyor each time the travel of said readying device is stopped a given distance so as to pass another coil on to said supporting structure and removing the previously readied coil therefrom, and second control means connected to said intermittent drive and responsive to said first control means for controlling said intermittent drive to operate when the travel of said readying device is stopped.

8. A yarn package winding machine comprising a multiplicity of winding stations each having take-up winder means, a supply-coil holder, doffer means for removing a depleted coil from said holder, a knotter for tying the yarn end of a new coil on said holder to the yarn end from said take-up winder means, and yarn seizing means for passing said two yarn ends to said knotter; in combination with a supply-coil readying device common to, and movable along, a number of said winding stations, said readying device having a coil magazine and a conveyor with coil-receiving pockets evenly spaced from each other for individually removing coils from said magazine, coil rotating means engageable with a coil in one of said respective pockets when said one pocket is in a given position of conveyor advance for unwinding a length of yarn from the coil, suction means having a nozzle at said position for receiving and retaining said length of yarn until after issuance of the coil from said readying device; rail means defining for said readying device a travel path along said number of winding stations, said device having a propulsion drive for moving said device along said path; and said device having coil outlet means alignable with said supply-coil holder of one of said respective winding stations at a time for issuing a ready new coil to said winding station; each of said winding stations comprising a reserve-coil support near said supply coil holder, said coil support being registrable with said outlet of said readying device for receiving therefrom a readied coil to keep it in reserve for subsequent transfer to said holder, said winding station having sensing means responsive to presence of a reserve coil on said support, and said readying device having control means responsive to said sensing means for stopping the travel of said device at the winding station and actuating said conveyor and rotating means and suction means during the travel-stopping interval.

9. A yarn package winding machine comprising a multiplicity of winding stations each having take-up winder means, a supply-coil holder, doffer means for removing a depleted coil from said holder, a knotter for tying the yarn end of new coil on said holder to the yarn end from said take-up winder means, and yarn seizing means for passing said two yarn ends to said knotter; in'combination with a supply-coil readying device common to, and movable along, a number of said winding stations, said readying device having a coil magazine and a conveyor with coil-receiving pockets evenly spaced from each other for individually removing coils from said magazine, first and second yarn removing means engageable with said respective coils in said pockets at respective first and second localities spaced from each other, at least one pocket spacing along said conveyor and successively reached by each pocket, said second yarn means including yarn end fixing means engageable with the end of yarn from a coil at said second location for holding the yarn end in a given ready position until after subsequent issuance of the coil from the readying device; rail means defining for said readying device a travel path along said number of winding stations, said device having a propulsion drive for moving said device along said path; and said device having coil outlet means alignable with said supply-coil holder of one of said respective winding stations at a time for issuing a ready new coil to said winding station.

10. In a winding machine according to claim 9, said first yarn removing means being located near the core foot of the coil at said first locality for removing a yarn Winding from the core foot and the tail end of yarn from the coil peripheral surface, and said second yarn removing means extending along the coil at said second 14 locality for removing the end of yarn previously loosened on the coil.-

11. In a winding machine according to claim 10, said second yarn removing means further including a rotating device engageable with the coil for rotating it to unwind a length of yarn therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,177,680 10/-1939 Abbott 24235.6 2,675,971 4/ 1954 Abbott 242-35.6 3,029,031 4/1962 Furst 24235.6 3,043,529 7/1962 Furst 24235.6 3,111,280 11/1963 Reiners et al. 242-355 STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner. 

1. A YARN PACKAGE WINDING MACHINE COMPRISING A MULTIPLICITY OF WINDING STATIONS EACH HAVING TAKE-UP WINDER MEANS, A SUPPLY-COIL HOLDER, DOFFER MEANS FOR REMOVING A DEPLETED COIL FROM SAID HOLDER, A KNOTTER FOR TYING THE YARN END OF A NEW COIL ON SAID HOLDER TO THE YARN END FROM SAID TAKE-UP WINDER MEANS, AND YARN SEIZING MEANS FOR PASSING SAID TWO YARN ENDS TO SAID KNOTTER; IN COMBINATION WITH A SUPPLY-OIL READYING DEVICE COMMON TO, AND MOVABLE ALONG, A NUMBER OF SAID WINDING STATIONS, SAID READYING DEVICE HAVING COIL SUPPLY MEANS, COIL SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR ACCOMMODATING A COIL RECEIVED FROM SAID SUPPLY MEANS, YARN END FIXING MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE END OF YARN FROM A COIL LOCATED ON SAID SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR HOLDING THE YARN END IN A GIVEN READY POSITION UNTIL AFTER SUBSEQUENT ISSUANCE OF THE COIL FROM THE READYING DEVICE; RAIL MEANS DEFINING FOR SAID READYING DEVICE A TRAVEL PATH ALONG SAID NUMBER OF WINDING STATIONS, SAID DEVICE HAVING A PROPULSION DRIVE FOR MOVING SAID DEVICE ALONG SAID PATH; AND SAID DEVICE HAVING COIL OUTLET MEANS ALIGNABLE WITH SAID SUPPLY-COIL HOLDER OF ONE OF SAID RESPECTIVE WINDING STATIONS AT A TIME FOR ISSUING A READY NEW COIL TO SAID WINDING STATION. 